New charges filed in fatal motorcycle wreck

Published: Thursday, August 15, 2013 at 09:00 AM.

A man is facing additional charges in connection with a collision that left one man dead Monday night.

Michael Jones, 32, of
Western Boulevard
, was charged Wednesday by the Jacksonville Police Department with a count of felony death by vehicle and felony serious injury by vehicle.

Monday night he was charged with DWI and safe movement violation causing serious injury to a motorcyclist.

Jacksonville Police officials said Jones was taken into custody Wednesday without incident and processed at the
Onslow
County
Detention
Center
. He was issued a $75,000 unsecured bond.

JPD filed the additional charges after meeting with the Onslow County District Attorney’s Office.

Matthew McClain, 21, of Onslow Pines Road, was driving a 2012 Harley Davidson motorcycle on U.S. 17 southbound near the intersection with
Barden Street
around
8:20 p.m.
Monday when he struck an SUV that had failed to yield to the motorcycle, officials said.

A man is facing additional charges in connection with a collision that left one man dead Monday night.

Michael Jones, 32, of Western Boulevard, was charged Wednesday by the Jacksonville Police Department with a count of felony death by vehicle and felony serious injury by vehicle.

Monday night he was charged with DWI and safe movement violation causing serious injury to a motorcyclist.

Jacksonville Police officials said Jones was taken into custody Wednesday without incident and processed at the OnslowCountyDetentionCenter. He was issued a $75,000 unsecured bond.

JPD filed the additional charges after meeting with the Onslow County District Attorney’s Office.

Matthew McClain, 21, of Onslow Pines Road, was driving a 2012 Harley Davidson motorcycle on U.S. 17 southbound near the intersection with Barden Street around 8:20 p.m. Monday when he struck an SUV that had failed to yield to the motorcycle, officials said.

McClain died at the scene.

Police said Jones was traveling north in the center turn lane and preparing to turn left onto Barden Street. He was in a 2009 Ford Flex SUV, and turned left into McClain’s path. The front of McClain’s motorcycle struck Jones’ SUV.

According to warrants, “The impaired driving offense was the proximate cause of the death.”

Katherine Collins, 21, of Onslow Pines Road, was a passenger on McClain’s motorcycle at the time of the collision. She was airlifted to VidantMedicalCenter with serious injuries.

According to warrants, Jones “unintentionally” broke Collins’ left humerus, radial and ulna bones while “engaged in the offense of impaired driving.”

A blood sample was taken Monday night to determine alcohol concentration or the presence of an impairing substance in Jones’ blood.

Jacksonville Department of Public Safety Spokesman Beth Purcell said one of JPD’s drug recognition experts determined the impairment was caused by a substance other than alcohol.

The crash remained under investigation, according to officials Wednesday afternoon.

Anyone with information about the wreck is asked to contact JPD Traffic Sergeant Philip Williams at 910-938-6435 or pwilliams@ci.jacksonville.nc.us or Crime Stoppers at 910-938-3273. Callers to Crime Stoppers do not have to reveal their identities.